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I didn't understand the Harley allure until I bought one. For me it's the rawness, sound, legendary status, and the pure Americana that comes with owning and riding one.
Ditto, and add the exceptional fit and finish, the dealer network, and (most of) the Harley community.
Oh yeah, and the bikes seem to have some sort of 'soul', but that might just be my imagination.
I have always been a motorcycle fanatic ...I am 57. From my first 1971 CB450 to today.
Many bikes in between.
Nothing has moved me like this road king has. I cant decide what its....
I have had fast Kawasaki's and they just don't have the soul the Harley does.
I too owned several Yamaha and Honda cruisers before getting a 2012 Road King a year ago. When I dropped off the Honda I was riding and rode home 2 hours on the Road King, I could feel a quality difference. The RK held the road better, was smoother, was more comfortable. Fit me like a glove. When I got the bike home, oil leak which turned out to be a seal which likely had dried out from the bike sitting for a long time. Recently just changed the voltage regulator after getting codes for overcharging. Neither were big deals, but in comparison I never touched my previous metrics other than oil changes and tires. The metrics are top of the game in terms of reiliabililty imo, but I still wouldn't go back. HD has done a great job over the years developing their brand, especially coming out of the 70's when there were all kinds of reiliability issues during the AMF years. There is a mystique surrounding HD's that no company is ever likely going to rival. And yes, I too love the solid feel of the RK being made out of steel, I always hated all the plastic that is found on the metrics.
Harley Davidson = "the great American road experience". You buy into it when you buy the brand. Even those who publicly eschew the clothes, HOG, and other trappings can't get away from that fact. Overstated and under-functioning as it may indeed be, Harley Davidson is (North) America's motorcycle and when you own one, you own all that goes with it,,, and we love it !
From: Marion NC / Lake Norman NC / Panama City Fla
Originally Posted by T Man
I too owned several Yamaha and Honda cruisers before getting a 2012 Road King a year ago. When I dropped off the Honda I was riding and rode home 2 hours on the Road King, I could feel a quality difference. The RK held the road better, was smoother, was more comfortable. Fit me like a glove. When I got the bike home, oil leak which turned out to be a seal which likely had dried out from the bike sitting for a long time. Recently just changed the voltage regulator after getting codes for overcharging. Neither were big deals, but in comparison I never touched my previous metrics other than oil changes and tires. The metrics are top of the game in terms of reiliabililty imo, but I still wouldn't go back. HD has done a great job over the years developing their brand, especially coming out of the 70's when there were all kinds of reiliability issues during the AMF years. There is a mystique surrounding HD's that no company is ever likely going to rival. And yes, I too love the solid feel of the RK being made out of steel, I always hated all the plastic that is found on the metrics.
I had the opposite experience with the metrics. I bought my first bike, a Honda 1100, because I fell for the mantra that the Hondas were vastly more reliable and "you meet the nicest people on a Honda" Well when I went to bike events, the only folks that would talk with me were the Harley guys and gals. My Honda leaked oil and it left me stranded three times. I almost gave up riding then I got the Fatboy and after a few rides I kicked myself for not getting a Harley first.
Lesson learned...
Harley-Davidson Fat Boy Becomes a Dark, Decepticon-Inspired Custom
Slideshow: Killer Custom's latest build relies on styling changes rather than performance upgrades, giving the cruiser an entirely different personality.
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Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
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Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
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Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.